SPORTS/briefly- December 17, 2001

NFL sideline worker recovering after collapse

SAN DIEGO  A 70-year-old member of the Qualcomm Stadium chain crew remained hospitalized Sunday after collapsing 24 hours earlier during the Oakland Raiders-San Diego Chargers game.

Carl Robbins of suburban El Cajon, was undergoing tests at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, where he was held overnight. Spokeswoman Sylvia Wallace said Robbins became dizzy and fainted.

The Chargers announced in the press box that Robbins apparently suffered a heart attack, but that was incorrect, Wallace said on Sunday.

Robbins apparently bent over to pick up something, became dizzy and fainted, Wallace said. The game was delayed for about 20 minutes as he was treated. Robbins was then put on a stretcher, driven off the field on a cart and taken to the hospital.

There was a chance Robbins would be discharged later Sunday, Wallace said.

Oakland won 13-6 to repeat as AFC West champion.

City police to investigate Colorado rape allegations

BOULDER, Colo.  City police will determine whether charges should be filed in the investigation of an alleged gang rape that might have involved Colorado football recruits.

Though campus police have taken the lead, city police chief Mark Beckner said, "We haven't given up total control of the case."

"Certainly if there was a question of whether charges should be filed and we thought they should and they thought they shouldn't, we would take control," Beckner said Sunday.

A Colorado student, whose name has been withheld, reported to campus police that she had been sexually assaulted by several people at a party for football recruits on Dec. 7. The party was held off campus.

The National Coalition Against Violent Student Athletes questioned whether campus police were competent to investigate a rape case that might involve the nation's No. 3-ranked football team.

Beckner said campus police took the lead in the case, although the incident occurred off-campus, because the alleged victim reported it to them.

"The woman went to CU police and they started the investigation. We are working with them. They had developed a relationship with the woman, so we thought let them continue to investigate it," Beckner said.

Lt. Tim McGraw, who is leading the investigation for the campus police, told The Daily Camera he was offended by the suggestion his staff would give athletes deferential treatment.